What does Warband offer for Singleplayer Gamers?

[Helmut_AUT]

I'm sorry for asking such a basic question, but most of Warband topics seem centered about MP, and the bits about SP gaming are spread thin and far.

I'm NOT interested in playing Multiplayer, I own "classic" Mount & Blade. So here's some questions related to SP only, and if the improvements are worth the upgrade cost:

1) I know there are some new fight mechanics, like the ability to use throwing weapons in melee. There also seems to be a health bar for your horse now. Anything else substantially changed in player vs. AI fights?

2) From the screenshots it seems the biggest improvement in GFX are bumb mapped shaders, that give detail to the texture of materials (most easily seen on leather head caps and such). Any other GFX improvement (I already have HDR in M&B with the GE 2.5 mod)

3) Has the command interface for your AI troops improved? Formations now possible? Enemy AI using Archers, Cavalry and Foot Soldiers more tactically?

4) I like the new setting with the Desert Folks, nice Crusader/Sarazen feeling there.

5) On the strategic map, I realize you can now become king, marry and so on. I'm more than happy with just being marshall, anything else significantly improved or expanded?

6) Does it now truly support widescreen, as in "horz+" and not "vert-" implementation and no stretching of menu items?

7) Does it need significantly more hard drive space to install?

Is it fairly stable and bug-free now? No major game stoppers?

9) Anything else that will make Warband worth the cost of upgrade over M&B 1.011?

Thanks all for helping, maybe there could be a sticky somewhere with this kind of comparison information?

 

[Kleidophoros]

1. AI is more aggresive and dangerous, will kick you dammit!
2. New, better models, higher resolution testures
3. Kinda. Some think its worse since you will need an extra click of a button to issue orders.
4. Aye.
5. I am not playing for that long so i will let singleplayer betatesters answer that.
6. I have no wide screen so again some others can help.
7. some 700MBs IIRC, didnt really check how much, installer fits on a CD.
8. Stable and not so bug free. No major ****.
9. New mods that will comeout in due time.

 

[Marmalade]

It is a major improvement - but it's also pretty similar.

There are tons of little details which are better, and the new animations and combat system as a whole is a lot more fluid.

As a singleplayer game, do bear in mind that you would be buying an upgraded version of Mount and Blade - with all that implies.

From a purely capitalist point of view, single player Warband replaces Mount and Blade in every detail... but the upgrade is a little hard to justify when you can pick up Mount and Blade for a fiver. For a new player the choice is obvious, but an established player will be playing essentially the same game, with a lot of improvements. There will, no doubt, be many excellent mods for Warband in the future, but as for right now a purely singleplayer purchase is hard to support without reservations.

On the other hand, it's cheap, it's awesome, and the multiplayer is the best damn thing going.


Oh, and formations are still just lines, but you can assign and rename your own "groups" - i.e. "Infantry", "Archers" etc. to command them seperately. Also, if you tell the line to stand closer together a few times then they will form ranks, which is more than sufficient.

 

[Helmut_AUT]

Thanks. Sounds like a "Definite Maybe"

The thing is that I really have no issues or "wish list" for original M&B, besides better GFX and a massive change in tactical command battles. I'm happy with everything else. And it seems Warband is more of everything else, but some parts adress minor niggles I have with M&B.

 

[Teladis]

There is major changes to graphics so thats one part.

They did update the tatical battle. *Lets you assign troops but still needs more options imo* Either way both of the things you want they did update.

 

[Jericho]

1. AI is more aggresive and dangerous, will kick you dammit!
2. New, better models, higher resolution testures
3. Kinda. Some think its worse since you will need an extra click of a button to issue orders.
4. Aye.
5. I am not playing for that long so i will let singleplayer betatesters answer that.
6. I have no wide screen so again some others can help.
7. some 700MBs IIRC, didnt really check how much, installer fits on a CD.
8. Stable and not so bug free. No major ****.
9. New mods that will comeout in due time.

1.) Ditto, although it may take some getting use to the fact you may not totally dominate the field with a score of knights against faction armies and of course the new animations really add to the realism aspect.
2.) Ditto, the graphics are for the most part good and IMO comparable to most recent games.
3.) The new command structure was a bit of a bother at first but more versatile when you get accustomed to it.
4.) YES! Very excellent new faction and look. Some of the towns have a new look to them as well...more akin to the faction they belong to. 
5.) A lot of new and different quests now, but some are  a bit buggy. The open-ended game aspect is still there though! I happened to notice another lord from my faction was being held prisoner in an enemy town so I snuck into the town and freed him with a nighttime prison break! Lots a fun and I made a new ally within my faction!
6.) Yes! I have a wide screen and it looks great!
7.) Ditto, That's about right. My folder size is 789MB.
8.) Ditto
9.) I'm glad I bought it. The vast improvements with the combat engine is well worth the pocket change for this expansion. I also don't care about MP and worried that the various changes to the mounted combat would reflect in the single player, but the released version is well balanced and much improved. The couched lance option of making it harder really appeases the realism geek in me!

 

[Helmut_AUT]

Yeah, I noticed on the screens that some towns now have a different apperal, more wood, less stone.

Jericho, Widescreen really means it's "wider" and not "narrower" at the top? It seems they actually managed to add triple monitor support:
http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=64&t=18593

So indeed that is a good indication of proper widescreen use now.

I also seem to have read somewhere that battlesize is now expandable without mods?

Guess I might see to finish my M&B Character off somewhat (I'm still on my first try and only level 12 after a few months absence) and then start fresh when Warband has recieved one or two patches to fix the most annoying bugs.

Thanks for the informative thread here.

 

[Kleidophoros]

Battlesize is 150 max now. 200 in Custom battle.

 

[Vornne]

3. There aren't any set formation shapes, but "stand closer" will make the men group up in ranks. Another really useful feature is the ability to set each troop slot in the party screen to one of 9 custom named groups; for example "spearmen" "archers" "horse archers" "heavy cavalry" "civilians" "heros"... I really like the feature . Now I can stick a group of heavy infantry in front of my archers that I know will do a good job of stopping horsemen, and keep the recruits at the back to stay safer and learn.

 

[Kleidophoros]

you can assign 1 troop type to 1 group only right? I would like to be able assign 15 sharpshooters to one group and another 15 to another group, crossifre ftw.

 

[pogswarts]

This biggest problem with SP is that there are quite a few "not yet implemented" parts and there are some typos, random stutterings, and for some reason not every piece of clothing/armor has been replaced so some look like horrid. Other than that it's really fun and an improvement. I would recommend waiting for patches before you buy.

 

[Helmut_AUT]

"Custom Battle is 200 now" - means there are now Custom Battles where you can select units, map and face them off against each other?

 

[Kleidophoros]

Yup. You select one of the premade characters, game mode, map, factions, troops and do yer thing.

 

[Rubberduck]

you can assign 1 troop type to 1 group only right? I would like to be able assign 15 sharpshooters to one group and another 15 to another group, crossifre ftw.

Maybe having rhodok and swadian(or merc) crossbowmen, and then grouping them. One way to circumvent the problem?

 

[Kleidophoros]

Well yeah but i like to roleplay a bit so i recruit from one faction only, recruit NPCs who suit the faction and use faction specific equipment.

 

[Helmut_AUT]

Yup. You select one of the premade characters, game mode, map, factions, troops and do yer thing.

Thanks. Just downloading, gonna check this out. Been using Custom Battle Mod v.06 forever, but that one is a tad limited and the interface not very well done.

 

[Helmut_AUT]

Okay, just got to test out the Custom Battle function. Is it 25 Units per Side and only Vaegir/Swadian because I haven't unlocked the game, or doesn't like this system?

Interesting enough, the entire install at just shy of 800MB is SMALLER than Mount & Blade. How can that be... no clue.

The GFX definitly seem improved, but some items haven't been done yet (shields for example still seem very basic, compared with the armor).

 

[Kleidophoros]

I believe it unlocks once you activate the game.

Optimization?

Some real nasty textures yes, they real stand out, look horrible.

 

[Helmut_AUT]

Yep, to me it seems some textures just haven't been updated with the necessary bump mapping and reflection data. So you have a fully-shaded knight with glossy, detailed chain mall, and he's holding a flat low-resolution shield...

Same problem goes for horses to some extend. They don't match the shadow detail of the guys sitting on them.

But overall, the increase is VERY notable.